Changes

He was born Ilia YonchevHis Eminence, the son Most Reverend Archbishop '''Kyrill (Yonchev) of the late Mancho and Anna Yonchev, on February 26, Pittsburgh''' (1920 in -2007) was the historic city of Panaguriste in Bulgaria. He graduated in 1940 from St. John of Rila Theological Seminary in Sofia. He was tonsured a monk on January 19, 1941, ordained a Deacon on January 20, 1941 and in April ruling [[bishop]] of 1943, he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood. He graduated from the St. Clement [[OCA]] [[Diocese of Ochrid School Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese of Theology in 1944, Western Pennsylvania]] and was appointed an instructor of theology in the seminary in Plovdiv, BulgariaOCA [[Bulgarian Diocese (OCA)|Bulgarian Diocese]]. And Prior to his service in 1944the OCA, he was appointed Abbot of the Bachkovo Monastery. While Abbot sole hierarch of the Bachkovo Monastery, he together, with other leading civil and religious leaders [[ROCOR]]'s [[Bulgarian Diocese in Bulgaria. helped to protect the Jewish population of Bulgaria from extermination at the hands of Nazi occupiersExile]] during its twelve-year existence.

In 1946, Fr==Life==Abp. Kyrill was sent to Bernborn Ilia Yonchev on [[February 26]], Switzerland1920, for advanced studies in theology and philosophy. In 1950Panaguriste, Bulgaria, following the communist take over son of Bulgaria, FrMancho and Anna Yonchev. Kyrill emigrated to He attended the United StatesSt. A short time later he was assigned as pastor [[ John of St. George Bulgarian Orthodox Church Rila]] Theological Seminary in ToledoSofia, OhioBulgaria, graduating in 1940. On December 6, 1959 he He was elevated [[tonsure]]d to the rank of Archimandrite[[monk|monastic]] orders on [[January 19]], 1941, and in 1963, given the name Kyrill. On the next day he was named Administrator of the Bulgarian Diocese in the United States[[ordination|ordained]] a [[deacon]]. A short time later, on August 9, 1964, he He was consecrated Bishop of Toledo and Toronto and ordained to the Bulgarian Diocese, Diocese of the United States of America and Canada[[priest]]hood in April 1943.

On December 20, 1976, Bishop KYRILL united Fr. Kyrill attended the Bulgarian Diocese to the Autocephalous Orthodox Church St. Clement of Ochrid School of Theology. After graduating in America. In October1944, 1977, Bishop KYRILL he was appointed Locum Tenens instructor of theology in the Pittsburgh Archdiocese; and [[seminary]] in 1978Plovdiv, he Bulgaria and also was chosen to head appointed [[abbot]] of the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, a position he has held for 29 yearsBachkovo [[Monastery]]. In 1992As the abbot, he was elevated to participated with other Bulgarian leaders helping protect the rank Jewish population of ArchbishopBulgaria from actions of the Nazi occupation against the Jews during World War II.

He was Following World War II, Fr. Kyrill attended advanced studies in theology and philosophy in Bern, Switzerland. With the senior hierarch and a member communist takeover of Bulgaria, Fr. Kyrill, in 1950, immigrated to the Holy Synod United States where he was soon assigned as pastor of the St. George Bulgarian Orthodox Church in America. He was also a member Toledo, Ohio, as part of the Lessor Synod [[Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Diocese of Bishops, and served on numerous Church committees. Including the Canonization CommissionUSA, the Theological Board Canada and as a Trustee Australia|Bulgarian Eastern Diocese of StNorth and South America and Australia]]. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological SeminaryFr. He Kyrill was also a member of elevated to the executive council rank of the Christian Associates of Southwestern Pennsylvania[[archimandrite]] on [[December 6]], 1959.

In 1964, Metr. Andrei of the Bulgarian Diocese petitioned the [[Holy Synod]] of the [[Church of Bulgaria]] for his return to the Bulgarian episcopacy and to continue to lead the [[diocese]] in America. With the return of Metr. Andrei and his diocese to the Church of Bulgaria, a group under Fr. Kyrill broke with Metr. Andrei and joined the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia ([[ROCOR]]) as the [[Bulgarian Diocese in Exile]]. On [[August 9]], 1964, Kyrill was [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated]] by ROCOR as Bishop of Toledo and Toronto of the Bulgarian Diocese in Exile. On [[December 20]], 1976, Bp. Kyrill and his diocese broke from the ROCOR and joined the [[Orthodox Church in America]] (OCA), with Kyrill appointed as the ruling bishop of a Bulgarian diocese under the OCA. In October 1977, Bp. Kyrill was appointed ''[[locum tenens]]'' of the [[Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Diocese of Western Pennsylvania]]. In 1978, Bp. Kyrill was elected the ruling bishop of the Pittsburgh diocese, which he led for the next 29 years. He also continued to lead the OCA's Bulgarian Diocese. In 1992, he was raised to the dignity of [[archbishop]]. During his tenure as head of the Pittsburgh diocese, Abp. Kyrill served as a member of the OCA Lesser [[Synod]] of Bishops, the [[Canonization]] Commission, and the Board of Theological Education. He was also a trustee of [[St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary (Crestwood, New York)|St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]]. Abp. Kyrill reposed on [[June 17]], 2007, after a period of failing health. His funeral services were conducted on [[June 21]] and [[June 22|22]], 2007, at the St. Alexander Nevsky [[Cathedral]] in Allison Park, Pennsylvania. At the time of his death Abp. Kyrill was the longest-serving Orthodox hierarch in America. {{stubstart box}}{{succession|before=[[Andrei (Petkov)]]|title=Bishop of Toledo and Toronto<br>[[Bulgarian Diocese in Exile]] (ROCOR)|years=1964-1976|after=[[Michael (Donskoff) of Geneva|Michael (Donskoff)]]}}{{succession|before=''see created''|title=Bishop of Bulgarian Diocese<br>(OCA)|years=1976-2007|after= [[Alexander (Golitzin)]]}}{{succession|before= [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]]|title=[[Diocese of Western Pennsylvania (OCA)|Archbishop of Pittsburgh]]<br>(OCA)|years=1978-2007|after= [[Melchisedek (Pleska) of Pittsburgh|Melchisedek (Pleska)]]}}{{end box}} ==Source==*''The Orthodox Church'', Vol 43/No 3, Summer 2007, p. 30.